Williams v. New York City Housing Authority

879 F. Supp. 2d 328, 2012 WL 3038544, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104385
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJuly 26, 2012
DocketNo. 10-CV-1070
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 879 F. Supp. 2d 328 (Williams v. New York City Housing Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, 879 F. Supp. 2d 328, 2012 WL 3038544, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104385 (E.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM, ORDER, AND JUDGMENT

JACK B. WEINSTEIN, Senior District Judge.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction............................... .330

II. Facts and Procedural History................ .330

III. Law...................................... .334

A. Summary Judgment Standard........... .334

B. Relevant Antidiscrimination Law......... .334

1. Federal Fair Housing Act........... .334

2. State and City Antidiscrimination Law .336

IV. Application of Law to Facts ........ .337

V. Conclusion....................... .339

I. Introduction

Plaintiff Alvin Williams sues the New York City Housing Authority (“the Authority”). It is contended that the Authority violated Williams’ federal, state, and city-law rights by failing to lease him the apartment in which he claims he had resided with his mother before her death. Williams asserts that the Authority’s failure to do so violated the federal Fair Housing Act (the “FHA”), 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., the New York State Human Rights Law, N.Y. Exec. Law § 296, and the New York City Administrative Code, N.Y.C. Admin. Code § 8-107(5). See generally Verified Complaint (“Compl.”), Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070, 2010 WL 1706285 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 9, 2010), CM/ECF No. 1. Damages are sought.

The defendant has moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. For the reasons provided below, defendant’s motion is granted.

II. Facts and Procedural History

As a child, Williams moved with his mother and her husband into the apartment that is the subject of this dispute; the residence is owned and supervised by the defendant. See Local Rule 56.1 Statement in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Def. 56.1 Stmt.”) ¶ 10, Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 31; Deck of Patricia Barnett in Support of Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment ¶ 6, Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 34. (It is unclear whether plaintiffs family moved into the apartment in 1956 or 1961, compare Dep. of Alvin Williams (“Williams Dep.”) 62, Williams v. New York City Housing Au[331]*331thority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 32, with Def. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 10. The date of the move, however, is immaterial to the resolution of the instant motion.) Williams moved out of the apartment in 1976; at that time, he began residing in a house owned by other relatives. See Williams Dep. 62.

Plaintiffs mother continued to live in the apartment after her son’s departure; she occupied it until she died in July 2007. See Def. 56.1 Stmt. ¶¶ 11-12. At the time of her death, Ms. Williams was the apartment’s tenant of record (the “Record Tenant”) and its sole authorized occupant. See id. ¶ 11.

In early September 2007, Williams visited the apartment complex’s management office and requested that he be allowed to succeed his mother as the Record Tenant. See id. ¶ 13. He claimed that he had resided in the apartment for ten years— that is, since 1997 — and that his income was minimal. See id. He admitted that his mother had not listed him as an occupant in the affidavit of income that she had provided annually to the Authority. See id.

A brief discussion of relevant Authority policy and regulations is helpful in understanding the events that followed plaintiffs 2007 visit. The Authority has adopted extensive rules and regulations that serve to limit tenants’ ability to add residents to their household, as well as their ability to provide succession rights to relatives. No person, other than an original family member who has resided continuously in an apartment, or a child born or adopted into a household, may reside in an Authority public housing apartment permanently or temporarily unless the Record Tenant requests and obtains permission in writing from the manager of the relevant apartment complex. See id. ¶ 5; Tenant Rules and Regulations ¶ 2(p), Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 34-1. Tenants are reminded of this policy annually. See Def. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 6; Occupant’s Affidavit of Income, Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ ECF No. 34-1.

A Record Tenant may add a person to the household consistent with the Authority policy if certain requirements — regarding both the Record Tenant and the resident sought to be added — are satisfied. The Record Tenant must currently occupy the apartment and must be in good standing with the Authority. See Def. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 7. The prospective resident must be eligible for admission to public housing. See id. He must also be related to the Record Tenant; the familial relationships that qualify for this purpose have been enumerated by the Authority, and they include a parent-child relationship. See id.; NYCHA Management Manual § 11(B)(2), Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 34 — 1. Permanent residency may be acquired only with the written approval of the apartment complex’s manager; that permission must be granted if the Record Tenant requests it, the prospective resident is eligible, and the addition would not result in overcrowding. See Def. 56.1 Stmt. ¶ 7.

Permitted by the Authority’s policy in limited circumstances, after the Record Tenant dies or leaves an apartment, is the succession by a remaining family member (“RFM”) to the Record Tenant’s lease. See id. ¶ 8. “RFM” is a term of art defined by the Authority’s Management Manual. To obtain RFM status, a Record Tenant’s relative — referred to in the Management Manual as an “RFM claimant” — must:

1. Lawfully have become part of the Record Tenant’s household — ie., be [332]*332a member of the class of eligible relatives enumerated by the Authority, and obtain from the apartment complex’s manager -written permission to reside in the apartment;
2. Have remained in continuous occupancy of the apartment for at least one year from the date when written permission was given to live in the apartment by the apartment complex’s manager; and
3. Be otherwise eligible for public housing in accordance with the Authority’s admissions standards for applicants.

See id.; see also NYCHA Management Manual § 12, Williams v. New York City Housing Authority, No. 10-CV-1070 (E.D.N.Y. May 25, 2012), CM/ECF No. 34-4.

The RFM policy permits the Authority to review whether an occupant is eligible for admission to public housing, ensures that no occupant of public housing poses a danger to others, and controls tenant selection in a fair, orderly, and lawful fashion. See Def.

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879 F. Supp. 2d 328, 2012 WL 3038544, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104385, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-new-york-city-housing-authority-nyed-2012.